Panasonic's published UK heating and cooling warranty has three levels: Standard at 3 years, Extended at 5 years and Extended+ at 7 years, and all three carry a full parts and labour allowance. Which one lands on your installation depends on the installer's training and registration, so it is a question to ask before you sign rather than after the unit is on the wall.
Three warranty levels, and your installer decides which one you get
Panasonic's warranty document sets out 3 year Standard, 5 year Extended and 7 year Extended+ cover, with the longer two available only to installing engineers who meet the conditions it lists.
The Standard warranty needs no training course. For an air to water system Panasonic asks only that the installer has relevant knowledge and understanding of installing air to water heat pump systems. The Extended warranty asks more of the installer. They must be registered with Panasonic or listed on the Refcom register, and must complete a Panasonic certified training course for the relevant product range. Panasonic then issues a Training Certification Code, valid for 36 months from the date of issue, which it can ask to see when a claim comes in.
Extended+ adds paperwork on top of training. The installer has to submit the project to the PROClub via the warranty submission portal, giving the installation address, installer details, supplying distributor, the Training Certification Code and a Panasonic approved commissioning sheet. Incomplete or incorrectly filled documentation is returned to the installer, and Panasonic states that the completed version must be resubmitted within 30 days of issue, or the installation will be eligible for the Extended warranty only. Two years of cover therefore rest on a form going back on time.
| Panasonic warranty level | Period | What the installer has to do |
|---|---|---|
| Standard | 3 years | No training course required |
| Extended | 5 years | Registration plus Panasonic certified training |
| Extended+ | 7 years | Training plus project registration on PROClub |
Panasonic counts each period as an addition to your statutory rights. Once the statutory warranty expires, it says the Standard warranty covers the product for a further two years, three years in total, the Extended warranty for an additional four years, five in total, and the Extended+ warranty for a total period of seven years, six in addition to the statutory period. Our pages on Vaillant heat pumps, Viessmann heat pumps and Stiebel Eltron heat pumps set out the same question for each of those brands, and the answers are not alike.
Annual servicing is a condition of the warranty, not an optional extra
Panasonic requires the product to be maintained annually, and for Extended and Extended+ cover that maintenance must be done by an installer holding the relevant Training Certification Code. If the product is not maintained by an approved installer, Panasonic states the warranty will revert to a 3 year Standard warranty.
Panasonic also asks that records of maintenance are kept for inspection before any service or repair work, and says that failing to maintain the system or keep adequate records will invalidate the warranty. The service falls due at least once a year, and Panasonic's periodic maintenance regime covers a visual inspection of the system, verification of electrical integrity, a leak detection test for refrigerant and water, component testing, and verification of system operation against the original commissioning data.
Where a dispute arises and Panasonic inspects the system, and the failure turns out to be the result of incorrect installation or selection, it reserves the right to claim the visit at its standard daily rate of £500 excluding VAT, covering attendance within a 100 mile radius of its head office. Budget for the annual visit alongside the install price, which our guide to what a heat pump costs in the UK covers.
The install conditions Panasonic writes into the warranty
For air to water systems Panasonic lists minimum conditions that must be met for the installation to comply with the warranty, and they are specific enough to check against a quote.
- Filtration. A strainer installed in the return flow as close as possible to the system inlet, with a mesh weave no greater than 600 microns, plus a magnetic filter in the return flow, also as close as possible to the inlet.
- Water volume. Primary volume of at least 30 litres for a single fan unit and at least 50 litres for a twin fan unit.
- Hydraulic separation. A buffer vessel or low loss header to create hydraulic separation, with an intermediate vessel if the buffer or header does not meet the primary volume requirement.
- Flow rate. 13 litres per minute primary volume flow for a single fan unit, and 18 litres per minute for a twin fan unit.
- Closed system only. Panasonic states the system must be fitted to a closed water system only, and that failure to do so may result in excessive corrosion and the risk of introducing foreign materials.
If your home is on a private water supply there is one more check. Panasonic asks for a test report confirming chloride content of no more than 200 mg per litre, sulphate content of no more than 200 mg per litre, and a combined chloride and sulphate figure of no more than 300 mg per litre. None of this is exotic, but a buffer vessel and a magnetic filter are line items with a price, and a quote that leaves them out is cheaper for a reason.
Aquarea L or K: the choice that follows your radiators
Panasonic splits the Aquarea range by what the house needs, with the L Series built for retrofits on existing radiators and the K Series aimed at new build.
The L Series uses the natural refrigerant R290, takes a hydraulic connection between indoor and outdoor units, and provides water outlet temperatures of up to 75°C down to minus 10°C. It also delivers domestic hot water up to 65°C without a heater for tank sterilisation. The K Series uses R32, retains a refrigerant connection between the units, and provides water outlet temperatures of up to 60°C down to minus 10°C. That difference at the top of the flow temperature range is the whole argument in an older semi with cast iron radiators that nobody intends to replace.
- Efficiency. Panasonic quotes A+++ energy class with a SCOP of 5.12 on the 5 kW L Series.
- Sound. The K and L generations reduce the ERP sound level down to 56 dB(A) on the 9 kW capacity, which Panasonic describes as up to 8 dB(A) less than the previous models.
- Cold weather. The compressor operates down to minus 25°C outdoor temperatures.
- Extreme cold. The separate Aquarea T-CAP range operates down to minus 28°C and maintains rated capacity at minus 15°C without a backup heater.
- Footprint. The All in One indoor model takes up 598 mm by 600 mm, which Panasonic compares to a household appliance.
Flow temperature is the number to settle early, because the two series top out in different places. Ask for a room by room heat loss calculation before anyone settles on a series, and read our guide to heat pumps and radiators alongside the answer. For that 56 dB(A), see how it sits against other units on our heat pump noise page, and remember the planning sound calculation is done for your unit in your garden, not for the brochure figure.
PRO Partner, MCS, and the £7,500 grant
Panasonic's PRO Partner terms require a heating PRO Partner to hold MCS certification and provide a hard copy of it, to have at least one Panasonic accredited installer, and to be registered on the Panasonic PRO Club website. Panasonic reviews partners yearly, says numbers will be restricted, and lists a 5 year compressor warranty among the benefits partners receive.
That lines up with the grant rules. Ofgem states the Boiler Upgrade Scheme is installer-led, that installers who are MCS certified can apply for and redeem scheme vouchers on behalf of property owners, and that to be eligible installers must be MCS certified and meet the MCS standards. So a Panasonic heating PRO Partner has already cleared the MCS bar the grant needs.
On the money, gov.uk gives one grant per property, at £7,500 towards an air source heat pump, £7,500 towards a ground source heat pump, £5,000 towards a biomass boiler and £2,500 towards an air-to-air heat pump. Until March 2027 you can get an additional £1,500 towards an air source or ground source heat pump if your property is heated by oil or LPG and has no mains gas connection, which Ofgem describes as £9,000 off the cost and installation in eligible off-gas grid properties, available until 31 March 2027. You cannot get a grant for a hybrid system such as a gas boiler combined with an air source heat pump, and the maximum capacity is 45kWth for individual systems.
Which nation you live in changes the answer. Gov.uk states the scheme is open to people in England and Wales. In Scotland you might be able to get an interest-free loan or a grant instead, and the Boiler Replacement Scheme in Northern Ireland is now closed.
When a firm quotes you an Aquarea, settle four things in writing. Ask which series and output they are proposing, because the L and K are different machines. Ask which warranty level they are registering you for, and whether the Extended+ paperwork is going to PROClub. Check that the buffer vessel, magnetic filter and strainer are priced on the quote rather than assumed. Then ask who is doing the annual service, since the cover depends on it. Our guide to choosing an installer covers the checks that apply whoever ends up doing the work.
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Frequently asked questions
Panasonic offers three levels: a 3 year Standard warranty, a 5 year Extended warranty and a 7 year Extended+ warranty, all with a full parts and labour allowance. The Extended and Extended+ versions are available only to installing engineers who meet Panasonic's conditions, so the level you get is decided by the firm fitting the system. Extended requires registration with Panasonic or Refcom plus a Panasonic certified training course, and Extended+ additionally requires the project to be submitted to the PROClub warranty portal.
Panasonic requires the product to be maintained annually, and for Extended and Extended+ cover the maintenance must be carried out by an installer with the relevant Training Certification Code. If the product is not maintained by an approved installer, the warranty reverts to a 3 year Standard warranty, and failure to maintain the system or keep adequate records will invalidate it altogether. Records must be kept for inspection before any service or repair work.
The L Series is built for retrofits on existing radiators: it uses the natural refrigerant R290, takes a hydraulic connection between indoor and outdoor units, and provides water outlet temperatures of up to 75°C down to minus 10°C, with domestic hot water up to 65°C without a heater for tank sterilisation. The K Series is aimed at new build, uses R32, retains a refrigerant connection between the units, and provides water outlet temperatures of up to 60°C down to minus 10°C.
Panasonic quotes A+++ energy class with a SCOP of 5.12 on the 5 kW L Series. For sound, the K and L generations bring the ERP level down to 56 dB(A) on the 9 kW capacity, which Panasonic describes as up to 8 dB(A) less than the previous models. Treat both as published test figures and ask your installer for the planning sound calculation covering the exact unit and position proposed at your house.
For air to water systems Panasonic lists minimum conditions: a strainer in the return flow with a mesh weave no greater than 600 microns, a magnetic filter in the return flow, a primary volume of at least 30 litres for a single fan unit or 50 litres for a twin fan unit, and a buffer vessel or low loss header to create hydraulic separation. It also sets primary volume flow at 13 litres per minute for a single fan unit and 18 litres per minute for a twin fan unit, and requires a closed water system.
Gov.uk gives one grant per property, with £7,500 towards an air source heat pump and £7,500 towards a ground source heat pump, plus an additional £1,500 until March 2027 where the property is heated by oil or LPG with no mains gas connection. Ofgem states the scheme is installer-led and that MCS certified installers apply for and redeem the vouchers on behalf of property owners. The scheme is open to people in England and Wales. Panasonic's own PRO Partner terms require a heating PRO Partner to hold MCS certification, so a PRO Partner has already cleared that bar.